XN000022-1988-07-03 — Page 9

SUNDAY, JULY 3,

JULY 3, 1988

8

SPECIAL SURGERY PROGRAMME FOR DEAF PATIENTS

UNDERWENT SURGERY AND FOUR PROFOUNDLY DEAF PATIENTS RECENTLY

THANKS TO THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT HAD THEIR HEARING PARTIALLY RESTORED PROGRAMME WHICH WAS INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG FOR THE FIRST TIME.

PROGRAMME IS A SPECIAL PILOT PROJECT THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT

THE SPONSORSHIP CONDUCTED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT UNDER

CLUB

SUM LTD. A (CHARITIES) OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY $250,000 HAS BEEN DONATED BY THE CLUB FOR THIS SPECIAL PROJECT.

OF

BENEFITTED FROM THE PROGRAMME WAS THE FIRST PATIENT WHO

MARCH 36-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO RECEIVED THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT SURGERY IN THIS YEAR.

A

5

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS PATIENTS AGED 33, 27 AND 51, MARCH AND APRIL.

THE PROGRAMME REHABILITATION FOR

IMPAIRMENT.

OF THE FIRST OPERATION, THREE OTHER UNDERWENT THE SAME TREATMENT BETWEEN

CONSISTS OF A

COCHLEAR IMPLANT SURGERY AND

SELECTED PATIENTS WHO SUFFER SEVERE HEARING

NOSE AND THROAT ACCORDING TO A CONSULTANT SURGEON OF THE EAR,

IT DEPARTMENT, SERVICES OF THE

IS ESTIMATED THAT ONE IN EVERY IS SO SEVERE THOUSAND HONG KONG PEOPLE HAS HEARING IMPAIRMENT WHICH THAT HE OR SHE CANNOT BENEFIT FROM ANY FORM OF AMPLIFICATION.

THESE

**

"WITH THE ADVENT OF THE COCHLEAR IMPLANT, THE HEARING OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A WORLD OF SILENCE, CAN NOW BE PARTIALLY RESTORED, HE SAID.

IMPLANT 15

THE CONSULTANT SURGEON EXPLAINED THAT THE COCHLEAR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT CONSISTS OF AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PART.

IS PART

COMPOSED OF A

THE EXTERNAL

A MICROPHONE,

SIGNAL CONSISTS OF PROCESSOR AND AN EXTERNAL TRANSMITTER. THE INTERNAL PART

AND AN ACTIVE ELECTRODE AN IMPLANTED RECEIVER

INSERTED INTO THE

COCHLEAR.

"THE MICROPHONE CONVERTS THE INCOMING SOUND INTO AN CURRENT WHICH IS THEN MODIFIED BY THE SIGNAL PROCESSOR,

AND

ELECTRICAL

HE SAID.

WHICH

THE TRANSMITTER BY MEANS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION BETWEEN

THE ELECTRODE, CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE RECEIVER,

THE COCHLEAR. CONSEQUENTLY, STIMULATES THE HEARING NERVE NEURONS IN THE SIGNAL IS PERCEIVED CENTRALLY IN THE BRAIN AS SOUND.

AFTER THE IMPLANTATION,

REHABILITATION

PROGRAMME

THE PATIENT WHICH INCLUDES

HAS LIP-READING,

TO

FOLLOW

AUDITORY

TRAINING AND SPEECH PRODUCTION.

"THE PURPOSE